Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Crooklyn Blu-ray Movie Review

A semi-autobiographical slice-of-life journey through Brooklyn, NY

A semi-autobiographical experience by Spike Lee (25^th Hour, He Got Game), Crooklyn is an ode to life in Brooklyn, New York circa 1973. Executive produced by Jon Kilik (The Hunger Games, Babel), the film explores the lives of children who fondly refer to Brooklyn as “Crooklyn” as they live out their daily lives. Crooklyn is a remarkable experience that must be seen.

The story of Crooklyn revolves around a family and their common experiences together. Carolyn (Alfre Woodard) is a mother to several children. She does her best to take care of her kids while teaching school-children at her day-job as well. Her husband, Woody (Delroy Lindo), is a struggling musician who stays at home and works on his craft: making music. Their young daughter, Troy (Zelda Harris), is highly inquisitive and wants to explore the world around her. Crooklyn focuses on these three unique and fascinating characters and the other children in the family.

The story for Crooklyn is by Joie Lee while the screenplay is by Joie Lee, Spike Lee, and Cinqué Lee. One of Lee's more “slice-of-life” offerings, Crooklyn doesn't employ at traditional narrative with the same mechanics one might expect to find from some of his other features. The screenplay is mostly character focused and explores the daily lives of the characters in the story. The script is one of the film's key strengths.

A Spike Lee Joint

One aspect of the film which is commendable is the way it paints a picture of a normal family (including their hardships: paying all their bills – keeping electricity running – and getting food on the table). The storyline even showcases Troy going to a grocery store with food-stamps in hand. Few films even bother to present these situations in such a frank way. Lee is a brave, bold, and honest filmmaker to address these types of real-world issues with authenticity.

A constant by Lee's side, composer Terence Blanchard (25^th Hour, Inside Man) once again provides a remarkable score. Music in a Spike Lee film is one of the key ingredients to success: Crooklyn is no exception to that rule. The film has a jubilant vibrancy that feels alive and so much of this is due to music featured in the film. The energy of the music is real, fantastic, and essential to the film.

From a visual perspective, the cinematography by Arthur Jafa (Daughters of the Dust, Seven Songs for Malcolm X) gives the film a documentary-like landscape which befits the material perfectly. The film careens somewhere between surrealism and reality and stands out as something distinctive within the filmography of Spike Lee. The production design by Wynn Thomas (Hidden Figures, Inside Man) is also highly detailed and brings viewers to Brooklyn circa 1973 with ease.

Spike Lee is one of the most authentic and gifted filmmakers in American cinema. To experience a Lee film is to experience something special, indeed. Lee almost always seems to have something important to say. Crooklyn is about family, life, and community in a way that is genuine, heartfelt, and brimming with unmistakable energy that will make audiences feel as though they are alive in the same moment. The film shows life in its ups and downs and is a genuine experience from start to finish. This is a masterpiece that rewards its audience: a work of art that is just as relevant today as it was when produced in 1994.

Crooklyn Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber, Crooklyn has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. Cinematographer Arthur Jafa created stunning visuals which are preserved well with this strong presentation of the film. Color reproduction on the scan is impressive. The scan looks naturally filmic and has a good amount of detail. While there are occasional minor specks on the print, these moments are fleeting and do not take away from an otherwise fantastic presentation. This is a great transfer of the film that presents Crooklyn as Spike Lee intended.

If there is any major cause for concern, it's the sequence in Crooklyn in which the image becomes distorted. Fear not, viewers. The distortion is intentional and an example of the creativity of Lee. There was a point to the disorienting images. Instead of utilizing a corrected anamorphic lens, Lee decided to instead distort the image.

According to a American Cinematographer article there is "a 20-minute uncorrected anamorphic sequence in Crooklyn, with highly controversial results; the squeezed images prompted Universal to prepare printed disclaimers at theaters exhibiting the film. Still determined to defend his choice, Lee says, "People had problems with the anamorphic sequence in Crooklyn, but in that film I was trying to show the difference between life in the city and life in the suburbs. I wanted to present this distorted suburban world through the eyes of the little girl, Troy, who had grown up in a completely different environment." So the squeezed, distorted, awkward visuals from these scenes are intentional and no fault of the transfer from Kino.

Crooklyn Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. While either option will provide viewers will an enthralling lossless audio experience, its the 5.1 surround sound track that pulls one further into the world of the filmmaking. Dialogue reproduction is crisp and clear throughout. The surrounds are used to enhance the mood of the filmmaking with great music at every turn in the story. The score by Terence Blanchard sounds beautiful and hypnotic on this high-quality release. While sound-effects seem to be kept to a minimum, the lively music makes this a remarkable surround-sound presentation that truly heightens the experience. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Crooklyn Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Crooklyn Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:19)

The only other extras on the release are a selection of trailers for Spike Lee joints available from Kino Lorber: Jungle Fever (SD, 2:37), Mo' Better Blues (SD, 2:42), Clockers (SD, 2:28), and Summer of Sam (SD, 2:35).

Crooklyn Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The semi-autobiographical Crooklyn is one of Spike Lee's most personal and rewarding films. The filmmaking feels genuine, heartfelt, and involving. The performances by Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, and Zelda Harris are absorbing. The soundtrack is dynamite. This is a truly fantastic film that seems to have been overlooked by some. Don't miss it: Crooklyn is a great, authentic, American gem. The Blu-ray release from Kino features an impressive (and accurate) presentation of the film and is well worth picking up. Highly Recommended.